Donald Trump is deeply unpopular outside his base and is facing multiple criminal investigations that could land him in jail. But...he could also win the 2024 US presidential election. Here's how:
You are so on target with “The Land of Authoritarian Politics”! My constant dread is that so many people--smart people, good people, democratic pundits, major MSM editors and journalists, Biden himself (!) do not understand this. This seeking consensus with MAGA insurrectionists in Congress should not happen. Hell, we have a constitutional law on our books that states they must be kicked out of congress. We seem to just muddle along, day by infernal day, and let this happen until the authoritarians get their way because we have sought consensus and now we’re done. I’m 78 years old, and I’ve seen it happen to my parents in Europe, I’ve seen it in Hungary, it’s happening now in Israel, and they’re trying in Poland and Turkey. And we’re sitting complacently by and giving more airtime to McCarthy than to Jeffries. It’s infuriating.
Great article! But what really grieves my heart is how the Evangelical Christian movement is so full of Trump loyalists. There voices are so loud in our Land of Authoritarian Politics. Our voices need to be much louder.
Always good to read you! The world as we know it will be doomed if Trump wins the next election, not only the US of A. I have a question. What about the true financial value of Trump? I remember once to have read about a loan (needing reimbursement!) from deutsche bank, approx 600 millions usd that may have come thru some russian mafia money. That story was quite quickly buried. Was is some conspiracy theory or what? Tks and have a nice day.
Nominating trump is an existential threat to our democracy. And nominating trump is all but certain due to the Authoritarian Movement formerly known as the Republican Party.
I was a lifelong R until 2016. I endorse every word of caution written & spoken by Brian Klaas.
Fantastic piece Brian; I’ll also be sharing to my friends, especially those who fall into the camp of disliking Trump the person but voting for Trump the candidate. Here’s what I wonder: what’s a scenario look like where Biden wisely decides not to run, and a true centrist--but one who speaks with a clarity and forcefulness capable of attracting the attention of potential Trump voters--comes into play? I couldn’t name that candidate offhand, but I’d love to think one exists. I’m a lifetime Democratic voter and I do think Biden has done a commendable job in office, but I’m not inclined to wait another four years under the shadow of Biden’s real or imagined doddering.
one thing I've never been able to figure out is how a pollster decides who is a Republican. Do they simply ask the person being polled? Do they go by voter registration? I suspect the form of the question varies from poll to poll.
Because what you can't get from a poll citing percentages is how many VOTERS the percentage represents. Is 40% of the number of people identified as Republicans in 2016 the same number as 40% of those identifying so today? Percent registered isn't reliable. For one thing, states like mine don't require party affiliation as part of voter registration. For another, there are people who would never dream of registering as independent, much less Democrat, for assorted reasons including family tradition. But how they VOTE in a general election--or even how they identify on policies (at any level) may not be the same.
Do you know of any reliable source of how MANY "Republicans" there actually are as compare to 2016?
"No Labels" seems to be a deeply conservative group aimed at splitting the Democratic vote. We can always hope that someone like DeSantis will be pissy enough after the primaries to start their own third party. Could we get some "Dark Money" folks to encourage that? Have at it, Soros & friends.
As someone less than two years younger than DeSantis, I am not worried about senility. I would be worried about physical illness. It lurks for all of us after we pass the "average lifespan" of Americans in general.
Do you think that there are people who support Trump because they want the war to end, or at least to have a ceasefire, with Ukraine having not won back lost territory? But dare not say it out loud? And are anxious about the direction that President Biden is taking the country? But who would have voted for Biden anyhow we’re it not for the war? Because they find Trump utterly loathsome? I am not one of these people; I vote Democratic no matter what. But I could understand if there were people who felt that way.
You are so on target with “The Land of Authoritarian Politics”! My constant dread is that so many people--smart people, good people, democratic pundits, major MSM editors and journalists, Biden himself (!) do not understand this. This seeking consensus with MAGA insurrectionists in Congress should not happen. Hell, we have a constitutional law on our books that states they must be kicked out of congress. We seem to just muddle along, day by infernal day, and let this happen until the authoritarians get their way because we have sought consensus and now we’re done. I’m 78 years old, and I’ve seen it happen to my parents in Europe, I’ve seen it in Hungary, it’s happening now in Israel, and they’re trying in Poland and Turkey. And we’re sitting complacently by and giving more airtime to McCarthy than to Jeffries. It’s infuriating.
Thanks Brian! Good point. They don’t see the cognitive dissonance.
Great article! But what really grieves my heart is how the Evangelical Christian movement is so full of Trump loyalists. There voices are so loud in our Land of Authoritarian Politics. Our voices need to be much louder.
Thanks!
Always good to read you! The world as we know it will be doomed if Trump wins the next election, not only the US of A. I have a question. What about the true financial value of Trump? I remember once to have read about a loan (needing reimbursement!) from deutsche bank, approx 600 millions usd that may have come thru some russian mafia money. That story was quite quickly buried. Was is some conspiracy theory or what? Tks and have a nice day.
Nominating trump is an existential threat to our democracy. And nominating trump is all but certain due to the Authoritarian Movement formerly known as the Republican Party.
I was a lifelong R until 2016. I endorse every word of caution written & spoken by Brian Klaas.
Fantastic piece Brian; I’ll also be sharing to my friends, especially those who fall into the camp of disliking Trump the person but voting for Trump the candidate. Here’s what I wonder: what’s a scenario look like where Biden wisely decides not to run, and a true centrist--but one who speaks with a clarity and forcefulness capable of attracting the attention of potential Trump voters--comes into play? I couldn’t name that candidate offhand, but I’d love to think one exists. I’m a lifetime Democratic voter and I do think Biden has done a commendable job in office, but I’m not inclined to wait another four years under the shadow of Biden’s real or imagined doddering.
I think other GOP have to attack 45 for the fever to stark breaking.
one thing I've never been able to figure out is how a pollster decides who is a Republican. Do they simply ask the person being polled? Do they go by voter registration? I suspect the form of the question varies from poll to poll.
Because what you can't get from a poll citing percentages is how many VOTERS the percentage represents. Is 40% of the number of people identified as Republicans in 2016 the same number as 40% of those identifying so today? Percent registered isn't reliable. For one thing, states like mine don't require party affiliation as part of voter registration. For another, there are people who would never dream of registering as independent, much less Democrat, for assorted reasons including family tradition. But how they VOTE in a general election--or even how they identify on policies (at any level) may not be the same.
Do you know of any reliable source of how MANY "Republicans" there actually are as compare to 2016?
"No Labels" seems to be a deeply conservative group aimed at splitting the Democratic vote. We can always hope that someone like DeSantis will be pissy enough after the primaries to start their own third party. Could we get some "Dark Money" folks to encourage that? Have at it, Soros & friends.
As someone less than two years younger than DeSantis, I am not worried about senility. I would be worried about physical illness. It lurks for all of us after we pass the "average lifespan" of Americans in general.
Do you think that there are people who support Trump because they want the war to end, or at least to have a ceasefire, with Ukraine having not won back lost territory? But dare not say it out loud? And are anxious about the direction that President Biden is taking the country? But who would have voted for Biden anyhow we’re it not for the war? Because they find Trump utterly loathsome? I am not one of these people; I vote Democratic no matter what. But I could understand if there were people who felt that way.